01 Feb Instead of a Fundraiser, Try a “Friendraiser” in 2023

When it comes to raising funds for your nonprofit, there are endless avenues you can choose. There are fundraisers, email campaigns, text-to-give solutions, and more, all of which can all help you raise both awareness and money.

Today we’re going to talk about an underutilized tactic called a friendraiser and explore and why can be such an effective means for growing your donations.

What is a Friendraiser, and Why Do They Work?

A friendraiser is a much more intimate gathering than a typical fundraiser. Whereas a fundraiser casts a wide net and tries to get as many people as possible to attend, a friendraiser depends on people within your nonprofit (employees, volunteers, etc.) bringing friends to a dinner or gathering.

Typically consisting of a smaller number of people than a fundraiser, a friendraiser’s goal is to educate the guests about what your nonprofit does and why your mission is important, helping to turn them into donors and/or volunteers. Often the idea is that the people you invite are positioned well to become large donors.

When done well, friendraisers can be very effective in growing support for your nonprofit because it’s easier to explain your mission and work to a smaller, more intimate group than a larger one. It gives the guests a chance to ask questions and personally get to know the people running the organization. Creating that familiarity and transparency can go a long way towards getting them to become supporters. In addition, it’s always fun to meet new people, and even if not every guest becomes a donor, at least they’ve become aware of your nonprofit and can help spread the word.

Keys to a Good Friendraiser

Here are a few key planning tips to ensure your friendraiser will be a success.

√ Only invite friends you know would be good fits.

Make sure that everyone you invite to the friendraiser would actually be a good fit. Ask your employees and volunteers to be discerning in choosing guests. For example, some people simply aren’t in the position to give money. Whether they are fresh out of college and need to pay off their student loans or they simply don’t have a lot of discretionary funds, not everyone is in the perfect position to become a full-fledged donor. It’s also important that guests come willingly. It can be tough to say “no” to friends, so make sure that whoever is doing the inviting isn’t pressuring people to attend and donate. If guests are excited about the idea of becoming a supporter, all they need is an invitation.

√ Make sure the event is fun.

Regardless of whether someone becomes a donor or volunteer, they should have a good time at your friendraiser. If they think you’re doing a good job with your nonprofit, they may pass your name on to their own network.

√ Give a brief, compelling presentation in which you clearly describe your mission.

Don’t just bring people together and expect them to be on board with your mission. Have a tight, impactful presentation prepared that goes over what your nonprofit does, why your mission is important, and how raising more money can help you carry it out. People like to know the “why” behind their donations. So make sure you give it to them.

√ Make it easy for guests to donate.

Whether guests are ready to donate on the spot or want to become regular donors after the friendraiser, make it easy for them with a text-to-give solution like GiveNow from mobileAxept. GiveNow is the premium text giving tool for nonprofits. Completely secure and user-friendly, GiveNow will help you galvanize donations and carry out your mission.

For more information or to get started, contact sales.